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Fun Home
Fun Home is a stage musical. Cast *Beth Malone - Alison Bechdel *Michael Cerveris - Bruce Bechdel *Judy Kuhn - Helen Bechdel *Sydney Lucas - Small Alison *Alexandra Socha - Medium Alison *Griffin Birney - Christian Bechdel *Noah Hinsdale - John Bechdel *Roberta Colindrez - Joan *Joel Perez - Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby Jeremy Plot As she works on her memoir in the present day, successful middle-aged cartoonist Alison Bechdel (Alison) recalls two time periods in her life. The first is her childhood, around age 10 (Small Alison), when she struggles against her father Bruce's obsessive demands and begins to identify her inchoate sexuality. The second is her first year in college (Medium Alison), when she begins her first relationship and comes out of the closet as a lesbian. Alison remembers herself, as a child, demanding that her father Bruce play "airplane" with her, while he sorts through a box of junk and valuables he has salvaged from a barn. Bruce tells the family that a visitor from the local historical society is coming to see their ornate Victorian home that he has restored, and his wife Helen prepares the house to Bruce's demanding aesthetic standard. In a phone call with her father and a journal entry, Medium Alison expresses her anxiety about starting college . At the Bechdel Funeral Home, Small Alison and her brothers John and Christian perform an imaginary advertisement for the funeral home. Medium Alison hesitates outside the door of the college's Gay Union, and is flummoxed when she meets Joan, a confident young lesbian. Bruce invites Roy, a young man whom he has hired to do yard work, into the house. Bruce begins to seduce Roy in the library while Helen is playing the piano upstairs, trying her best to ignore it. Medium Alison writes a letter to her parents about college life but does not mention Joan or her recent realization that she is a lesbian. Bruce orders Small Alison to put on a dress, but she would rather wear jeans. Bruce tells her that the other children would laugh at her; she reluctantly obeys him. Medium Alison proudly tells Joan that she has written a letter to her parents telling them that she is a lesbian, but begins to second-guess herself until Joan kisses her. That night, she is delirious with joy after having had sex with Joan and finally discovering her sexuality. Alison considers the connection between her coming out and her father's death. Small Alison has a homework assignment to draw a map of places her family has been to, but Bruce aggressively takes over, drawing it the way he thinks it should look. Alison realizes that despite having traveled widely, her father's place of birth, life, work and death can all be placed in a small circle in Beech Creek, Pennsylvania. Bruce offers a ride and a beer to an underage boy, and it is later implied that they had a sexual encounter. Medium Alison writes to her parents, asking for a response to her coming-out letter. Small Alison watches The Partridge Family, but Bruce angrily switches it off. Small Alison talks to him, and finds out that he is going to see a psychiatrist, but he is ambiguous about the reason. Alison expresses annoyance that he lied to her; the reason he was going was because he was arrested for what he did to the underage boy. Helen attempts to reassure Small Alison that the psychiatrist will help her father, but she too refuses to elaborate. Bruce starts a vicious argument with Helen and breaks several of her possessions along with some library books. Small Alison fantasizes about her family as the happy family singing together on television. Alison remembers a time when Bruce took her and her brothers on a trip to New York City. After a long day, Small Alison, Christian and John settle into sleeping bags. Small Alison wakes up and catches Bruce sneaking out. Bruce sings her a lullaby. He reassures his daughter that he's just going out for a paper, but Alison realizes he was probably going cruising. Medium Alison is angered by a noncommittal letter from Bruce responding to her coming out. At a luncheonette with her father, Small Alison notices a butch delivery woman and feels an inexplicable kinship with her. Medium Alison calls home to demand a better response from her parents and is astonished when her mother reveals that her father has had sexual relationships with men and boys. Alison explores the tensions her family was under at this time and watches a heated argument between her parents. Medium Alison returns home for vacation with Joan. Helen confesses to Medium Alison her troubled and turbulent life with Bruce. Medium Alison, Joan and Bruce have an unexpectedly pleasant evening around the piano. Bruce asks Alison if she'd like to go for a drive, and (adult) Alison realizes that Medium Alison is gone; she joins her father in the car, breaking the boundaries of time. On the drive, she and Bruce struggle to express themselves to each other. Bruce, manically engaged in a new restoration project, tries and fails to find a way to hold his life together. He steps in front of a truck and is killed. Alison, newly reconciled to her past, remembers and draws a moment of perfect balance: playing "airplane" with her father, while reminiscing about the past with the other Alisons. Musical numbers *"It All Comes Back (Opening)" – Small Alison, Bruce, Alison & Company *"Sometimes my father appeared to enjoy having children..." – Alison, Bruce & Helen *"Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue" – Helen, Alison, Small Alison, Christian, John, Bruce & Roy *"Not Too Bad" – Medium Alison *"Just had a good talk with Dad..." – Alison, Medium Alison, Bruce, Pete, Small Alison, John & Christian *"Come to the Fun Home" – John, Christian & Small Alison *"Helen’s Etude" – Alison, Roy, Bruce, Small Alison, Helen, John, Christian & Medium Alison *"Thanks for the care package..." – Medium Alison, Joan, Small Alison & Bruce *"Party Dress" – Small Alison, Bruce, Medium Alison, Alison *"Changing My Major" – Medium Alison *"I leapt out of the closet..." – Alison, Small Alison, Bruce & Helen *"Maps" – Alison *"Read a book..." – Bruce, Small Alison, Alison & Helen *"Raincoat of Love" – Bobby Jeremy & Company *"Clueless in New York…" – Alison, Small Alison & Bruce *"Pony Girl" – Bruce *"A flair for the dramatic…" – Alison, Joan, Medium Alison & Bruce *"Ring of Keys" – Small Alison & Alison *"Let me introduce you to my gay dad..." – Joan, Medium Alison, Alison, Bruce & Small Alison *"Shortly after we were married..." – Helen & Medium Alison *"Days and Days" – Helen *"You ready to go for that drive?..." – Bruce & Alison *"Telephone Wire" – Alison & Bruce *"It was great to have you home..." – Bruce & Alison *"Edges of the World" – Bruce *"This is what I have of you..." – Alison *"Flying Away (Finale)" – Alison, Medium Alison & Small Alison Category:Stage musicals